GGNez said:
... you don't grasp the gravity of the social implications of hate speech.
As I said elsewhere, you seem like a reasonable poster. But whenever I see
anyone toss around the term "hate speech," and couple that with "social implications," I get real,
real uneasy. By and large, I find way too many people who define "hate speech" as anything that they disagree with. And they feel totally justified if the opposing opinion is expressed in "unfortunate" language. Sorry, the First Amendment right to "freedom of speech" has a pretty narrow definition of what is
not allowed.
Aside from "yelling fire ... " (etc.), what many would like to call "hate speech" (including use of the "n-word" and other inflammatory terms) is still protected by the First Amendment. Why? Because anything else puts you on the proverbial "slippery slope." Where do you then draw the line to prohibit statements "the majority" dislikes/disagrees with? Unless a declaration directly and explicitly calls for actions to physically harm other people, or property, we must put up with it.
I was in college in the Bay Area when the "free speech" movement blossomed at Berkeley and elsewhere. What happened to the vocal demonstrators was not pretty. But it's no prettier when "the shoe is on the other foot." It's part of the price we pay for free and open discussion of controversial issues.